Team Herald
PANJIM: The meeting of coastal MLAs and ministers convened by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on the rent-a-cab issue failed to find a solution to the problem. The meeting, convened at the secretariat, was attended by Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, Transport Minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo and Benaulim MLA Caetano (Caitu) Silva.
“Chief Minister wants to come up with an amicable solution between both the warring groups of Tourist Taxi Owners and the Rent-a-Cab Association, which doesn’t seem to be possible at the moment,” Lobo told Herald.
Lobo said that there are 2000 applications for the Rent-a-cab licences and there is no guarantee that there won’t be any more once licences are given.
“The illegalities will continue, I have told the chief minister that whatever he decides he should take into consideration the legal businesses of taxi owners, who have been in the profession for decades and this was their only bread and butter,” Lobo said.
Parsekar had called for the meeting with the two associations along with the ministers for Tourism, Transport, Panchayats, police officials and coastal zone MLAs in August.
Parsekar heard the suggestions and the problems faced by the All Goa Taxi Owners’ Association and the All Goa Rent-a-Cab Association and assured he will decide on what is to be done. “I have listened to both sides and will take a decision on what to do in the coming weeks,” he said.
Speaking to Herald the taxi association members stressed on the burden rent-a-cabs would create if they were legalized.
“We discussed with the CM and other ministers how our business will be affected if rent-a-cabs are legalized in the State. He heard all of our suggestions and promised to take a decision soon,” said Vinayak Nanuskar of the North Goa Tourist Taxi Association.
On the other hand, Rent-a-Cab Association president Ramdas Palkar called for regularization of vehicles adding that there could be a balance of both taxis as well as rent-a-cab vehicles.
“In our demand to the CM we have asked for regularization of our business. We made it clear that at the most we will have five to six vehicles per person unlike companies that apply for hundreds of vehicles. Some tourists when they visit the State prefer to move around by themselves in rented vehicles. In the past, this has not been a problem and we hope to get a good result from the meeting,” said Palkar.
